What If?
by Flow of the Imagination
Summary: Just a simple oneshot. What would happen if Rayman, at his time, would make the wrong decision. Rated T...just because. A/N: NO, I'm NOT gonna continue that. EDIT: Beta-read myself, corrected all the mistakes I could find.


**What If?**

A Fanfic by _Flow of the Imagination_

_**A**__/N: Um...I was planning to publish it much earlier, but right at the moment I was uploading it, a brilliant idea hit me and I started it all over again_ _well, there it is now. Enjoy._

_FotI_

There was no hope for the Glade of Dreams now, since he had made his decision. There was no chance of persuading him, as he had always said that protection wasn't actually his cup of tea, and had never agreed to take the job the prophecies all nudged him to take. He had been telling everyone that he had defeated Mister Dark just by chance, in an effort to save Betilla. He had chosen a peaceful, quite life opposed to the risk and pain that defending of the Glade of Dreams would offer. Neither did he or anyone else know that one incorrect choice of a single limbless being who thought too much of himself would cost much, much more than his own life...

After he had rejected the opportunity to become the world's guardian, the opportnity that many sought, the world rejected him back. Instead of cheers and claps he usually got while walking down the street of his home town, he now heard angry whispers, shouts and was constantly getting the feeling that someone might throw a stone at him while he wouldn't be looking. He didn't know why everyone had hated him so much, even despite the fact that they have found a descent fill-in for him, another limbless to fulfill the prophecies' wish. He didn't know why the people's love for him after long, long years had been broken in the very moment when he had said "no".

Since he didn't feel safe now in the place where he had been born, raised, and spent his childhood, he had moved to the far edge of the forest. The limbless couldn't say that he was particularly sad about it, no; he loved the fresh air, he enjoyed the surroundings of the place where he had built his small, humble nest, he actually liked being alone in the place where he wouldn't be disturbed and stabbed in the back with a knife sooner or later. The only reminder of his old ways and life was a picture, carved into the bark of the hundred-year-old oak that stood near his hut. It was a heart, inside which were words: "Rayman + Ly = Love".

Rayman often wondered why she had decided to carve the message in this particular tree's bark far away from the place where they had both lived then. The idea he liked most was that Ly wanted to show that their love will be once and forever, and will be as strong and will last as long as the life of this ancient oak. And it indeed was.

Ly was the last one who had failed to give up on him, even in the toughest times of his life when the whole Glade turned their backs on him. She had always loved him, and was his last friend and supporter in the whole big world. When he was leaving his home, she had promised that she won't leave him. Even now she was near him, her head on Rayman's chest while they both were sitting near the hut on a comfortable bench he had made himself. They were happy together, even when rejected by everyone, and they didn't need anyone in their joy.

-Ray...-she said quietly, her eyes closed.

-Yes, Ly?-he answered.

-You know...I had a bad dream today...

-What it was about? - Rayman felt that the fairy needed reassuring, so he tried to speak in the softest tones his voice could offer.

-It was like a ship- a large ship in the sky...It closed the suns, and everything went dark... Then, there was an explosion, and everything was gone in a second...and then I awoke up...Oh, Ray, I felt so scared!

-Forget about it, darling. It's just a dream, don't take it so seriously.

-But it was so...real, you know!

-There's still nothing to worry about. Come on, Ly, forget it, and let's go to sleep.

He stood up from the bench and went home. Ly, however, was looking on the twin moons, her dream never leaving her mind. She looked up at the sky, and couldn't turn her eyes away, as if scared that it will be closed by the giant flying ship while she wouldn't be looking...

Nothing, nothing is more truthful than a fairy's dream. Sadly, Rayman never knew it. He slept without worries, his dreams sweet and undisturbed, when...

...

...

BANG!

Rayman shot up three feet in the air from his bed. At first, nothing was clearly seen in the darkness, but then everything got lit up by some strange lights. They were like shooting stars, but they were much, much closer, and certainly didn't seem the type of stars upon which you can make a wish. They weren't bringing hope and happiness, but death and chaos...

Bombs were falling from the sky down on the forest. Well, they were actually falling from a giant ship, mader of wood and metal. Rayman thought, "This is just like the ship in Ly's dream..."

Wait...

Ly!

Where was she now? Anything could be happenning to her now...Seconds later Rayman was already out there searching for her.

And he had found her quickly enough. She, unconscious, was lying behind a bush five meters away from their hut. When he wanted to take her up to bring to a safer place, there was another BANG and the home, in which they were hiding from the world for such a long time, was destroyed. Rayman was thrown away by the impact. At that moment, Ly woke up.

Rayman lifted his head from the ground. Ly was coughing and stirring, signs of life slowly wasting away yet still trying to fight. He quickly ran up to her, leaned over her and asked:

-Ly, are you all right?

-He...he fell, unable to defeat them...

-Who? Who fell? - Rayman suddenly found himself shaking her.

-The Guardian...The last hope...everything's gone.

-And what about other people? Are they safe?

-They are all slaves- slaves of the Buccaneer...

Those were the last words that the fairy had ever said. With that, she had closed her eyes...forever.

Rayman turned away from the woeful sight. He was desperate, bitter and crestfallen, sorrow filling his eyes in the form of big, hot tears. Only now had he realized how selfish and egoistic he was, rejecting the job of the Guardian. He had killed them all in an effort to make his own little life better...It was all because of him. If it wasn't for him, Ly would be alive now.

He now understood that he had deserved all the hate. In fact, he now hated himself more than the whole Glade did.

He was something worse than just a selfish being.

He was a murderer.

The next second something pierced his heart right through, and he fell down near Ly, his hearing weakening so he could not hear the bangs of exploding bombs and shouts and screams of tormented people anymore...

The sky was turning bloody-red as it faced the fall of the Glade of Dreams...


End file.
